| Rest in Bass | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 18, 2025 | |||
| Recorded | 2024–2025 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:24 | |||
| Label | 10K Projects | |||
| Producer |
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| Che chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 Original Spotify cover | ||||
| Singles from Rest in Bass | ||||
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Rest in Bass (stylized in all caps) is the second studio album by American rapper Che, released on July 18, 2025, through 10K Projects.[1] The album is a successor to his 2024 debut project Sayso Says and features a darker, grimmer musical aesthetic with heavy emphasis on distorted basslines and industrial synths. The album is hosted by DJ Rennessy and features guest appearances from OsamaSon, Xaviersobased and Chuckyy.
On December 25th, 2025, Che would release a deluxe edition of the album titled Rest in Bass: Encore consisting of 14 additional tracks and another guest appearance from OsamaSon.
Rest in Bass marks a stylistic evolution for Che, fusing Southern rap and experimental trap.
Background
Following the success of his 2024 debut Sayso Says, Che announced the title of the album back in February of 2025.[2] Following the announcement, Che then began teasing Rest in Bass in early 2025 through snippets on SoundCloud and social media. On July 15, 2025, he officially announced the release date of the project alongside the release of the lead single, "Hellraiser" featuring OsamaSon, with an accompanying music video.[3][4]
Release, promotion, marketing
Leading up to the release, Che teased various songs including "KISS" with CXO, "Pose for the Pic", "Love (MKB)", and "Green Day". A surprise pop-up listening event in New York City—sponsored by Ksubi—was shut down by authorities before it could begin, adding to the underground buzz around the album.[5]
The album also gained traction through platforms like TikTok and SoundCloud, where early leaks and fan speculation generated anticipation. A teaser reel uploaded in February 2025 hinted at the distorted sonic direction and several collaborations.[6][7]
According to Che himself via Interview, he described his album as "Punk, raw, and bass".[8]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| laut.de |   [9] |
| The Needle Drop | 7/10[10] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[11] |
Rest in Bass received critical acclaim, with praise for high-energy production, fuzzy sound, and innovative use of mixtape structure. Criticism fell in favor of its dedication to the lo-fi, rage-fueled sound and condemnation of its emotional depth and stylistic innovation. The album was heavily compared to the likes of Playboi Carti's Whole Lotta Red.[11]
Pitchfork gave the album a 8.3 out of 10 and rated it as Best New Music. Reviewer Rae-Aila Crumble described how Che "pushes his voice to extremes," and called the album "the platonic ideal of rage rap." She complimented production on the album for chaotic layering of redlined 808s, digital grittiness, and punk textures, and cited tracks such as "Doe Deer," "Dior Leopard," and "Mannequin" as highlights. Crumble further pointed out the dichotomy between Che's tough delivery and softer lyrics, particularly in the instance of "Dior Leopard," where Che reflects on drug use and dysfunctional family ties. The review ended by deeming Rest in Bass "purveys raw catharsis with both restraint and anarchy," as one of the most powerful underground releases of 2025.[11]
The Needle Drop's Anthony Fantano awarded the album a light 7, saying it was "one of the most fully realized rage projects in recent memory." He referenced the frantic energy and blown-out sound design of the album as he praised Xaviersobased and Chuckyy features for introducing contrast and energy. Fantano did berate the album for repetition in texture and disjointed sequencing, but then praised Che for possessing "rockstar-level energy" and experimenting within a very oversaturated subgenre of trap music.[10]
Bryson Paul of HotNewHipHop described the album as "Che's most audacious work yet."[12] Elaina Bernstein of Hypebeast called the album the "epitome of rage-rap in the post-SoundCloud era."[13]
The Fader's Vivian Medithi claimed that Rest in Bass is an album which pulls influence from "rainbow-y EDM and nightcore vocaloid", he also wrote how the album takes a turn as it's much more darker and sharper compared to his previous works, writing how "sawtooth synths grating against open hi-hats and hollowed-out 808s, degraded samples mired beneath sludgy basslines and plodding drums." Medithi also wrote how Che often raps about death in his music, but RIB sees him go "full kamikaze". During The Fader's weekly music roundup, RIB was a standout album, and was one of the top five albums that music listeners need to listen to.[14]
Eden Tizard of The Quietus wrote how REST IN BASS "is a dizzying rush of overstimulated beats and frazzled synths". He also wrote how the young rapper follows in the footsteps of "ATLien Playboi Carti in a chase for ever-escalating levels of extremity. He's a self professed rockstar, and a live wire hedonist."[15] Additionally, for the music of the month, Tizard has Rest in Bass as one of the albums of July.[16]
Additionally, Pitchfork had "Rest In Bass" ranked at No. 39 on their Top 50 Best Albums of 2025.[17] Complex on the other hand had the album ranked at No. 29 on its equivalent list.[18]
Song reception
According to Olivier Lafontant of Pitchfork, he claims that "Hellraiser" is a freakishly bubbly song, featuring staticky deliriums, scratchy chirrups, and elastic synths from CXO. Lafontant also claims how the song sees the duo "test their breaking points as if to see whose Auto-Tune plugins would crash first". Lafontant also humorously wrote how "Hellraiser" is "what happens when you give molly and FL to some kids raised on WLR leaks and Cartoon Network". Due to the track's individual success, it was nominated as one of the best new rap tracks by Pitchfork.[19]
The Quietus' finest, Eden Tizard wrote how "SLAM PUNK" sees Che give an appropriate shoutout to rapper and pioneer, Lil B, as well as Future, who is "the Atlanta elder statesman of psychedelic autotune", according to Tizard, lines from the track such as "I just fucked this bitch in some Gucci flip flops," is a "claim hard to take at face value when uttered from what appears to be the zig-zagging electric gremlin from Gremlins 2: A New Batch". Tizard also wrote how the track is filled with impish compulsion, and heavy-hitting ad-libs, which Tizard compared to as a game of ping-pong. Lastly, Tizard wrote how the line is a "far cry from Future's lean hiccup come synthetic sob – in that context the Gucci line sounded less like a brag and more like a brief moment of intoxicated clarity, perhaps a heart on sleeve confession."[15]
Year-end lists
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complex | The 50 Best Albums of 2025 | 23 | [20] |
| HotNewHipHop | The 40 Best Rap Albums of 2025 | 8 | [21] |
| Paste | The 25 best rap albums of 2025 | 15 | [22] |
| Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2025 | 39 | [23] |
| The 32 Best Rap Albums of 2025 | 25 | [24] | |
| Rolling Stone | The 25 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2025 | 9 | [25] |
| The Quietus | Albums of the Year 2025 | 63 | [26] |
| Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums Of 2025 | 41 | [27] |
Rest in Bass North American Tour
Along with the album's release, Che also announced that the album would have its own designated tour,[28] which began on September 3 in Houston, Texas and ended on October 2, at Che's hometown, Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to US dates, there were 2 dates in Canada (Toronto and Montreal).[29]
According to Che in his interview with The Fader, he talked about how he wants the energy to be like at his tour:[30]
"I want the crowd to feel like they're at a ritual and they're just here to praise me [...] It's like a savior of music thing," he said. "I want people to hear my music and feel safe, like there's no struggles at all, nothing to worry about at all in the world."
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| September 3, 2025 | Houston, TX | House of Blues Bronze Peacock |
| September 4, 2025 | Dallas, TX | House of Blues Dallas (Cambridge Room) |
| September 7, 2025 | Phoenix, AZ | Crescent Ballroom |
| September 9, 2025 | Los Angeles, CA | El Rey Theatre |
| September 12, 2025 | Portland, OR | Star Theater |
| September 14, 2025 | Seattle, WA | Neumos |
| September 17, 2025 | Denver, CO | Cervantes' Other Side |
| September 19, 2025 | Chicago, IL | The Vic Theater |
| September 21, 2025 | Toronto, ON | The Opera House |
| September 22, 2025 | Montreal, QC | Théâtre Fairmount |
| September 23, 2025 | Brooklyn, NY | Warsaw Concerts |
| September 26, 2025 | Boston, MA | Paradise Rock Club (Music Hall) |
| September 27, 2025 | Philadelphia, PA | Theatre of Living Arts |
| September 28, 2025 | Washington, D.C. | Union Stage |
| October 1, 2025 | Charlotte, NC | The Fillmore Charlotte (The Underground) |
| October 2, 2025 | Atlanta, GA | Center Stage |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Chase Mitchell. "Hellraiser" written with Amari Middleton, "Mannequin" written with Xavier Lopez, "Never Too Young to Die" written with Charles Davis.[31]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Slam Punk" | Rok | 1:42 |
| 2. | "Rolling Stone" | Azure | 2:33 |
| 3. | "On Fleek" | CXO | 1:53 |
| 4. | "Lip Filler" | Rok | 2:02 |
| 5. | "Hood Famous" | Rok | 3:26 |
| 6. | "BossUpppp" |
| 2:56 |
| 7. | "Marceline" | Rok | 2:00 |
| 8. | "Die Young" | Gyro | 2:08 |
| 9. | "Hellraiser" (with OsamaSon) | CXO | 3:02 |
| 10. | "Dior Leopard" | Azure | 4:29 |
| 11. | "Mannequin" (with Xaviersobased) | CXO | 2:03 |
| 12. | "Black Swan" |
| 4:17 |
| 13. | "MDMA" | Warren Hunter | 2:42 |
| 14. | "Never Too Young to Die" (with Chuckyy) |
| 3:15 |
| 15. | "Eardrummer" |
| 3:18 |
| 16. | "Doe Deer" |
| 1:54 |
| 17. | "Stagedivin" | Azure | 2:04 |
| 18. | "Bass" | CXO | 2:33 |
| Total length: | 48:24 | ||
Sample credits
- "Bass" contains an uncredited sample of "Lemon Glow", written by Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand, and performed by Beach House.
- "Hellraiser" contains an uncredited sample of "Spur", written and performed by Greenhouse.
Notes
- All tracks are stylized in all caps.
- "Bass" is stylized as "BA$$".
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.[32]
- Che – vocals, engineering
- CXO – mixing, mastering (all tracks); programming (tracks 3, 9, 12, 16, 18)
- Rok – programming (1, 4–7, 16)
- Azure – programming (2, 6, 10, 17)
- Gyro – programming (6, 8)
- OsamaSon – vocals (9)
- Moustafa Moustafa – engineering (9)
- Xaviersobased – vocals, engineering (11)
- Legion – programming (12, 15)
- Skai – programming (12)
- Warren Hunter – programming (13)
- David Meiners – engineering (14)
- Lucid – programming (14)
- Repglick – programming (14)
- Chuckyy – vocals (14)
- Ginseng – programming (15)
- Love&Peace – programming (15)
Rest in Bass: Encore
| Rest in Bass: Encore | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album (reissue) by Che | |
| Released | December 25, 2025 (2025-12-25) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 1:23:02 |
| Label | 10K Projects |
| Producer |
|
On December 25, 2025, the day of Christmas, Che released the deluxe of Rest in Bass, titled Rest in Bass: Encore (stylized in all caps), which consisted of 14 new tracks, as well as an additional feature from OsamaSon.[33][34][35]
Background
Before the deluxe's release, Che would go on his Instagram page to announce its release, stating that it would be released on Christmas Day, with the caption of his post being: “FUCKIT IM STEALIN XMAS.”[33]
Composition
On the song "Make Out With My Choppa", Alexander Cole of HotNewHipHop wrote how the beat production for the track is the most outlandish piece of work that someone will hear, citing how it aligns with the underground rap philosophy, by making "everything as loud and as glitched out as humanly possible."[36]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Chase Mitchell. "Whippin" written with Amari Middleton.[37]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "King of Rock" | CXO | 2:01 |
| 2. | "Make Out with My Choppa" | Che | 2:00 |
| 3. | "Holy Moly" |
| 2:00 |
| 4. | "Die Hard" | Legion | 4:35 |
| 5. | "Cutthroat" | Gyro | 1:55 |
| 6. | "Monster" | Che | 3:53 |
| 7. | "Dirty Sprite" |
| 3:43 |
| 8. | "Serve Da Bass" |
| 1:51 |
| 9. | "Riri" | Gyro | 1:45 |
| 10. | "Whippin" (with OsamaSon) | Gyro | 1:56 |
| 11. | "What's Love" | Azure | 2:11 |
| 12. | "Freak Neek" | Azure | 2:12 |
| 13. | "UAV" |
| 2:16 |
| 14. | "I'm Sorry" |
| 2:09 |
| Total length: | 1:23:02 | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Label(s) | Format(s) | Edition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | July 18, 2025 |
|
Standard | [38] | |
| December 25, 2025 | Deluxe | [39] | |||
| August 22, 2025 | Vinyl | Standard | [40] | ||
| December 25, 2025 | CD | Deluxe | [41] | ||
| 2LP | [42] |
References
- ^ REST IN BASS by Che on Apple Music, July 18, 2025, retrieved July 18, 2025
- ^ "On Rock-Inspired 'Rest in Bass,' Che Changes Up". V Magazine. V Magazine. July 18, 2025. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (July 15, 2025). "Che Confirms Rest in Bass Release Date, Taps OsamaSon for New Song and Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ Medithi, Vivian (July 3, 2025). "Che's ready to wake the dead". The Fader. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Che's Rest In Bass x Ksubi pop up got shut down ahead of the release tonight 👀". www.instagram.com. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ "REST IN BASS". X, formerly Twitter. February 9, 2025.
- ^ "REST IN BASS Album Trailer". X, formerly Twitter. February 12, 2025.
- ^ Julian Ribeiro (July 22, 2025). ""A Mannequin, a Fish Tank, and a Bed": Atlanta Rapper Che Tells Us His Studio Must-Haves". Interview. Interview Magazine. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ^ Cordas, Yannick. "Brüll dich frei mit Spaß dabei" [Scream freely and have fun doing it.]. laut.de (in German). Archived from the original on August 15, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
- ^ a b "Che – REST IN BASS". The Needle Drop. July 22, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ^ a b c Crumble, Rae-Aila. "Che: REST IN BASS". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ^ Paul, Bryson "Boom" (March 24, 2025). "Che Shows Is The Future Of The ATL Sound In Genre-Bending Album, "Rest in Bass"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ Bernstein, Elaina (July 21, 2025). "Che Revels in the Rockstar Life on 'REST IN BASS'". Hypebeast. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ "5 New Albums You Need: Alex G, Che, Jim Legxacy, and more". The FADER. July 18, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
- ^ a b "Che – REST IN BASS". The Quietus. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "Music of the Month: The Best Albums and Tracks of July 2025". The Quietus. Eden Tizard. August 1, 2025. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2025". Pitchfork. Pitchfork. December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2025". Complex. Complex. December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- ^ "Che: "Hellraiser" [ft. Osamason]". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2025:". Complex. December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ "The 40 Best Rap Albums Of 2025". HotNewHipHop. December 9, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ "The 25 best rap albums of 2025". Paste Magazine. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2025". Pitchfork. December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ Pierre, Alphonse (December 11, 2025). "The 32 Best Rap Albums of 2025". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ "The 25 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2025". Rolling Stone. December 10, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ Clarke, Patrick (December 1, 2025). "The Quietus Albums of the Year 2025 (In Association with Norman Records)". The Quietus. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2025". stereogum.com. December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (July 29, 2025). "Che Announces Rest in Bass Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ LaPierre, Megan (July 29, 2025). "Che Maps Out 'REST IN BASS' North American Tour". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ Renshaw, David (July 30, 2025). "Che announces Rest In Bass tour dates". The Fader. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "REST IN BASS / Che / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ "Rest In Bass – Che: Credits". Tidal. Tidal. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
- ^ a b Suskind, Alex (December 25, 2025). "Che Celebrates Christmas With REST IN BASS Deluxe". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- ^ Bras Nevares, Gabriel (December 25, 2025). "Rest In Bass: Encore – Album by Che". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ^ Chelosky, Danielle (December 25, 2025). "Che Releases Surprise Rest In Bass Deluxe Edition". Stereogum. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ^ Cole, Alexander (December 27, 2025). "Make Out With My Choppa — Song by Che". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ^ "REST IN BASS: ENCORE / Che / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
- ^ "Rest in Bass". www.praiseche.com. July 18, 2025. Archived from the original on August 30, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ^ "Music". praiseche. Archived from the original on December 25, 2025. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
- ^ "REST IN BASS VINYL". Free Divide. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ^ "REST IN BASS: ENCORE CD". Free Divide. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- ^ "REST IN BASS: ENCORE VINYL". Free Divide. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
